Footwear generally serves several purposes in modern lifestyle. No longer does a person have a single pair of shoes or other footwear that is considered sufficient and appropriate for all circumstances and uses. An average person generally owns shoes adapted for a particular purpose, such as work activities, social activities, exercising, or lounging. Many people make use of more than one style of footwear in a given day. A more common example would be a person wearing a pair of shoes designed for the work environment, such as dress shoes, work boots, or other style, and at some point in the day changing the work shoes for gym shoes more conducive to whatever form of exercise is planned, such as running shoes, walking shoes, biking shoes, or the like.
Many people have a regular exercise routine away from their home, such as at their office or at a gym. In such circumstances, clothes and shoes appropriate for the exercise must be carried from the home to the office or gym on a regular basis and at times may be stored in a locker or bag at the office or gym. Additionally, people exercising away from home often prefer to shower before returning to work or other activities. Most people using common locker rooms and showers in gym facilities prefer to wear sandals in the locker room and shower rather than walking bare-footed. Sandals, in addition to their comfort and convenience, may be preferred in such circumstances because they promote hygiene by providing a barrier between the wearer and the floor. Typically, the necessary items for a person to leave work to exercise and return to work, such as exercise clothing, shoes, towels, personal hygiene products, and the like, fill or overfill the space in a bag, during transport or storage, or in a locker.
Sandals are also often worn at the beach or pool, or otherwise in connection with watersports. Sandals are worn in those circumstances to protect the user's feet from rocks, glass, or other items that may be found on the floor. The sandal provides hygienic protection during such uses as well. When a person swims as part of an exercise routine, sandals are an especially important part of the equipment both around the pool and in the locker room.
While sandals are often used in connection with locker rooms or water sports, their use is much more widespread. Many people prefer the comfort and convenience of a sandal for everyday wear or for wear around the house. Recently, designer sandals have experienced great popularity and are accepted in some circumstances as formal wear. Accordingly, sandals are often packed in bags or suitcases for overnight trips, business travel, or vacation travel. As with gym bags or lockers, space is often very limited when packing bags or suitcases for traveling.
In a typical sandal, the longitudinal direction (from toe to heel) is often several times greater than the lateral direction from the medial edge to the lateral edge. This configuration often leads to difficulty when trying to pack the sandals, particularly when trying to pack sandals into small gym bags. Many bags include pockets or pouches that are often used to separate wet items from dry items. While the width and thickness of sandals often make them easy to fit into such pouches or pockets, the length of the sandals generally makes it difficult or impossible to close the pocket or bag without exposing at least a portion of the sandals to the remaining items in the bag.
There is a continuing need for solutions to the overcrowding of bags, suitcases, and lockers. Specifically, the length/width/thickness ratio of conventional sandals makes conventional sandals difficult to pack in some circumstances. Additionally, the underside of sandals may be considered to be unsanitary or to pose increased risk of contact with dirt or bacteria from the ground, especially after being worn in public bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers. There is a continuing need for a method of packing or storing sandals that limits the exposure of the sole surface to other items being stored or packed. The present disclosure addresses these continuing needs.